Automobile.



R. G. DU 1201s & W. L. MEAD.

AUTOMOBILE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 16. 1912. RENEWED APR. 30, 1914.

1 12359960 Patented Jan.5,1915. S I ii J0 i 6 7 III 9 g 12 i 2 i 11 W/T/VESSES:

C A TTOR/VE V RHESA Gr. DU BOIS AND WINTHROP L.

OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMOBILE.

Application filed May 16, 1912, Serial No. 697,599. Renewed April 30, 1914. Serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that we, RHEsA G. Du Bots and Wm'rnnor L. MEAD, citizens of the United States, residing at South Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates ment for those automobiles propelled by a gas engine wherein the explosive mixture is ignited by an electric spark; and an object of the invention is to produce a device which will make it impossible for the operator to prematurely start the engine as when the gears are in mesh and the car is standing still.

To this end, the invention consists in the peculiar features and combinations of parts which will bemore fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the invention as applied to a common type of gasolene automobile. Fig. 2 a detail view of a front elevation showing the manner of applying the' wire connections to the dash board and operating lever bracket. Fig. 3 a side view of an automobile in outline and of the shifting lever and its bracket,'and the wire connections, part of the bracket being shown in section to better disclose the lever.

In starting a gasolene car from a standstill, the transmission gears should always be out'of mesh so that the engine and not the car will be thrown into action, after which the gears may be coupled or meshed, whenever sliding gears are used, and the clutch let in, thereby connecting the power withthe driving wheels. Therefore, if the engine is started the gear shifting lever should stand at the neutral point whereby the action of the engine will not start the I car. It often happens in starting an engine that the shifting lever is accidentally left in connected adjustment, and when such an error is made and the engine st arted either on compression, as by turning on the battery switch or by cranking when the battery is on, the car will start with the engine and serious injury may follow. To prevent such an accident. we have devised means which automatically and mechanically break or cut out the sparking circuit of the engine whenever the transmission gears are connected, and vice-versa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

to a safety attach- Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

The invention might be carried out in a variety of ways, but for purposes of illustratlon, we have shown it as applied to an ordinary two-cylinder gas engine provided with dual ignition wherein the reference numeral 1 denotes, in outline, the body of an automobile, andZ the engine mounted therein.

3, 8 are spark plugs fired by the electricity from a battery 4 through a primary circuit 5 in connection with a coil 6, having a secondary circuit 7, and a switch 8 all of which may be of any well-known form and need not be described in detail. This battery circuit is generally used only for starting the engine ,after which it is switched ofi' and magneto 9 switched on for steady running, thus saving the battery. 10 represents any-suitable'magneto wires leading from the switch 8 to the spark plugs 11. The shifting lever 12 confined within a bracket 13, operates the transmission 14: and also serves as a switch to make and break the primary circuit 5 and hence cause the production of electrical impulses in secondary circuit 7, for firing plugs 3-3, or to prevent such action. This is done by a circuit breaker in the primary circuit between the battery 4 and coil 6. A gap 17 is provided at the point on the bracket 13 where the shifting lever stands at neutral, by the employment of two spring electrical contacts 18 which form a part of the primary circuit 5 and are attached at 19 to the sidev ofthe bracket by bolts 20 and insulators 21. The contiguous ends 22 of the contacts are hook-shaped and pass through insulation 23. These or any other suitable means to insulate the circuit may be employed.

2% is a starting crank; and 25 a metal contact'plate carried on the lever. Clhus constructed, the operation of the device is as follows: Whenever. the gear shifting lever 12 stands at neutral as seen in Fig. 3 and the switch turned to battery, the electrical connections are complete and the transmission gears are out of mesh, and the engine ready to be safely started by the crank 24 or on compression without starting the car. Should the lever be shifted from neutral into backward or forward adjustn'lent to couple the gears, as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the primary circuit 5 will be broken and the battery become inoperative and no spark will ofthe shifting lever'will'h'aveno efiect an;

the battery circuit It should be further the shifting lever is drawn up into neutral position to uncouple theslidinggears, or release the transmission, asthe case maybe,

it comes in contact. with-and slides over the of the contacts 18, pushing.

rounded them bac {until both areqonf theplate and the circuitis com leted.

thus described our: "invention,

Having to secure by Letwhat we claim and desire ters Patent is: -1. In an internal-combustiomengine automobile having the usual transmission system, and a dual ignition system composed.

of a battery circuit anda'magneto circuit,

the combination with the shifting-lever, of

the level,

a contact device actuated-by whereby the battery circuit is broken when-V ever the transmission mechanism isthrown mto operative adjustment and vice versa 2. In a motor vehicle of the internal-com a transmission system bustion-engine type, including gear shifting means, anignition system for said engine embodying a normally open battery circuit on which the engine is start d and a magneto circuit on which the engine is normally operated after starting,

and a switch controlled by said gear shift.

mg means for closing said battery only when the gears are at neutral.

3. In a motor vehicle of the internal-conibustion-engine type, the combination of circuit transmission mechanism including means for throwing said transmission into and from operative adjustment; an'ignition system for said engine embodying a generator circuit onwhich the engine is adapted to be operated after tery circuit adapted to be used in starting the engine and means for throwing the generator circuit into action after the engine.

has been started; and means for maintainmg sa d battery circuit open when the transmission is in operative adjustment and for automatically closing said battery circuit for starting the-engine thereon when the transmission is in inoperative adjustment.

4. A safety device for motor vehicles comprising an ignition system embodying a battery on which the engine is adapted to be started and a generator adapted to opeizplziined' I as i being started and a batcrate the ignition system after the engine has been started, the circuit includingflsaid battery being normally open, and'means control'led by the speed lever of said motor vehicle when at its neutral position for closing said circuit to permit starting of the engine on said batter --5. In a motor vehicle 0; the internal combustion engine type, the combination of the sparking and transmission mechanisms, the sparking mechanism embodying a battery on "which the engine is started and a magneto for operating the sparking system after the engine is running, of devices in connection with the transmission shifting mechanism for breaking the'circuit including said battery whenever the transmission mechanism is m operative adjustment.

6. an internal-'combustion-engine driven motor" vehicle having transmission mechanism and devices controlling the same, an ignition systemcomprising a battery on which the engine is started and a magneto on which the engine. is operated after. running, said system including an electric switch controlled by said devices to break the circuit including said battery except when the transmission is inneutfial or inoperative'adjustmenh.

an mternal combustion engine driven motor vehicle having transmission mechanism anddevices controlling the same, an ignition system comprising'a battery on which the engine is started and a magneto for operating the engine after the same has been started, an electric switchmechanisin controlled by said devices to break the circuit including said battery when thetransmission is in operative adjustment,

8. In an internal combustion engine driven motor vehicle having transmission mechanism and devices controlling the same, and an ignition system including-a battery circuit on which the engine is startedand a generator circuit on which operated after having been started, said starting circuit being controlled by said devices to be out of action when the transmission is in operative adjustment and to be closed for starting the engine when the transmission is in inoperative adjustment.

In testimony whereoiwe have hereunto presence of twosubscribing-witnesses, this 14th day of May 1912. p

' RHESA G. DU BOIS.

, WIN THROP L. MEAD.

Witnesses:

Gno. GARRABRANT, Homer. J, MURR Y.

the engine is signed our names to this specification in the a 

